Go Vertical, Get Results

Since AOL's August blunder, a goldmine of information has been revealed for search marketers with some especially interesting data for B2B marketers. The gaffe revealed over 20 million search words and phrases from over 650,000 AOL subscribers-- and the overwhelming majority was focused on consumer spending and personal lifestyle. While this is great news for the consumer-focused industry, the issue of targeted audience vs. broad reach is more important than ever for B2B marketers. The major search engines provide a huge branding opportunity, but when marketers are paying per click, having the right audience determines the success of the ad campaign.
Vertical search engines have been growing in popularity over the past year, but this recent leak of information shows that Tier One providers may not be the best choice for those with specialized interests. For B2B marketers, the customer conversion rate or cost per lead is often a measure of the effectiveness of a pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign, and vertical search engines are better positioned to deliver a steady stream of targeted traffic relevant to specific industries, services and product offerings.